Gateway device and system and method for use of same

ABSTRACT

A gateway device and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, multiple wireless transceivers are located within a housing, which also interconnectively includes a processor and memory. To improve convenience, the gateway device may establish a pairing with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device having a display. Virtual remote control functionality for various amenities may then be provided. To improve safety, the gateway device may be incorporated into a geolocation and safety network.

PRIORITY STATEMENT & CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No.62/731,822 entitled “Gateway Device and System and Method for Use ofSame” filed on Sep. 15, 2018, in the name of William C. Fang; which ishereby incorporated by reference for all purposes. This application isalso a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser.No. 16/201,783 entitled “Set-Top Box, System and Method for ProvidingAwareness in a Hospitality Environment” filed on Nov. 27, 2018, in thenames of Vanessa Ogle et al.; which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/652,622 entitled “Set-Top Box, System and Methodfor Providing Awareness in a Hospitality Environment” filed on Jul. 18,2017, in the names of Vanessa Ogle et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 10,142,662issued on Nov. 27, 2018; which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/165,851 entitled “Set-Top Box, System and Methodfor Providing Awareness in a Hospitality Environment” filed on May 26,2016, in the names of Vanessa Ogle et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 9,712,872issued on Jul. 18, 2017; which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/461,479 entitled “Set-Top Box, System and Methodfor Providing Awareness in a Hospitality Environment” filed on Aug. 18,2014, in the names of Vanessa Ogle et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 9,357,254issued on May 31, 2016; which claims priority from U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 61/935,862 entitled “System and Method forProviding Awareness in a Hospitality Environment” and filed on Feb. 5,2014, in the name of Vanessa Ogle; all of which are hereby incorporatedby reference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates, in general, to gateway devices and, inparticular, to gateway devices with enhanced convenience and systems andmethods for use of the same that address and enhance the automation ofsolutions in a room or other environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Without limiting the scope of the present invention, the background willbe described in relation to the hospitality lodging industry, as anexample. To many individuals, a hotel room is more than just a place tosleep, rather it is part of a larger and hopefully positive, hospitalityexperience. Hotel guests are seeking enhanced convenience in aneasy-to-use platform to make this experience a reality. As a result ofsuch consumer preferences, hassle free connectivity and confidenceinspiring control of room amenities are differentiators in determiningthe experience of guests staying in hospitality lodging establishments.Accordingly, there is a need for improved systems and methods forproviding enhanced convenience in an easy-to-use platform in thehospitality lodging industry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It would be advantageous to achieve a gateway device that would improveupon existing limitations in functionality. It would be desirable toenable a computer-based electronics and software solution that wouldprovide enhanced convenience in an easy-to-use platform in thehospitality lodging industry or in another environment. Further, itwould also be desirable to enable a computer-based electronics andsoftware solution that would provide improved safety in a reliableplatform. To better address one or more of these concerns, a gatewaydevice and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In oneembodiment of the gateway device, multiple wireless transceivers arelocated within a housing, which also interconnectively includes aprocessor and memory.

The gateway device may establish a pairing with a proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device having a display andvarious amenities. Content, such as the Internet, movies, music, orgames, for example, may be imported, e.g., streamed, from theprogrammable device and reformatted at the gateway device for renderingon one of the amenities. Virtual remote control functionality of theamenities may also be provided. To improve safety, the gateway devicemay be incorporated into a geolocation and safety network. These andother aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated withreference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the features and advantages of thepresent invention, reference is now made to the detailed description ofthe invention along with the accompanying figures in which correspondingnumerals in the different figures refer to corresponding parts and inwhich:

FIG. 1 is schematic diagram depicting one embodiment of a system forproviding a gateway device providing enhanced convenience and safetyfunctionality therewith according to the teachings presented herein;

FIG. 2A is a top plan view of one embodiment of the gateway devicedepicted in FIG. 1 in further detail;

FIG. 2B is a front elevation view of the gateway device depicted in FIG.2A;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram depicting one embodiment of thegateway device presented in FIGS. 2A and 2B;

FIG. 4A is a front perspective view of another embodiment of a gatewaydevice;

FIG. 4B is a side elevation view of the gateway device depicted in FIG.4A;

FIG. 4C is a top plan view of the gateway device depicted in FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram depicting one operationalembodiment of the gateway device shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart depicting one embodiment of a method forproviding a gateway device having enhanced convenience according to theteachings presented herein; and

FIG. 7 is a flow chart depicting one embodiment of a method forproviding a gateway device furnishing enhanced safety according to theteachings presented herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the making and using of various embodiments of the presentinvention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated thatthe present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts, whichcan be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specificembodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways tomake and use the invention, and do not delimit the scope of the presentinvention.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, therein is depicted one embodiment of asystem 10 utilizing a gateway device 12 with enhanced contentcapabilities and safety capabilities being employed within a hospitalitylodging establishment. The hospitality lodging establishment or, moregenerally, hospitality property, may be a furnished multi-familyresidence, dormitory, lodging establishment, hotel, hospital, or othermulti-unit environment. As shown, by way of example and not by way oflimitation, the hospitality environment is depicted as the hotel Hhaving various rooms and spaces, including space S and back of the houseoperations O. As will be discussed in additional detail, the gatewaydevice 12 is communicatively disposed with various amenities associatedwith the hospitality environment or hotel H as well as a geolocation andsafety network 58. Gateway devices, like the gateway device 12, may bedeployed throughout the spaces S and rooms of the hotel H.

As shown, in one embodiment, within the space S, which may be a hallwayor lobby, for example, the system 10 includes the gateway device 12having a housing 14 with physical connections 16, 18. A network cable 20is secured to physical connection 16. A configuration profile 22provides the information and credentials necessary for the gatewaydevice 12 to have convenient connections to amenities and a safeexperience for the guests as well as workers at the hotel H through thegeolocation and safety network 58, as will be described below. Multipleantennas provide for the wireless capabilities of the gateway device 12and include, for example, wireless standards: Wi-Fi 24, Bluetooth 26,and ZigBee 28. More generally, it should be appreciated that the cablingconnected to the gateway device 12 and antenna configuration will dependon the environment and application and the cabling connections andwireless standards presented in FIG. 1 are depicted for illustrativepurposes.

The gateway device 12 communicates wirelessly with various amenities 30,which are depicted as environmental amenities, within an environment ofthe space S. As shown, the amenities may include lighting 32, athermostat 34 representing temperature control, a speaker 36, windowshades 38, and security 40, which is depicted as a door indication for“Please Do Not Disturb.” A programmable device 42, such as a singlebutton programmable device 44 having a button 45 with Bluetoothcapabilities 46 or a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice 48 may be in communication with the gateway device 12 by awireless standard. As shown, the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48 may be a wireless-enabled interactive handhelddevice that may be supplied or carried by the guest and may be selectedfrom a range of existing devices, such as, for example personalcomputers, laptops, tablet computers, smart phones, and smart watches,for example. In one implementation, an application installed from aserver enables the gateway device 12 and the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device 48 to be wirelessly paired. In anotherembodiment, a challenge-response is utilized to wirelessly pair thegateway device 12 and the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48.

As shown, the configuration profile 22 is loaded within the gatewaydevice 12. The guest configuration profile may be loaded from theoperations, e.g., the front desk or hotel headend, by use of a remotecontrol, or by a proximate device, such as the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48. The configurationprofile 22 enables, in operation, to query the status of one of theamenities, to furnish virtual remote control functionality of theamenities 30 that may be provided by the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device 48, and to import content from theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device to one of theamenities 30, such as the speaker 36. Such functionality is depicted bythe proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48 havinga display 50 and a virtual interface 52 thereon for controlling thetemperature of the temperature control amenity 34 by way of a Wi-Fiwireless signal 54 that is received by the gateway device 12 andtransmitted to the temperature control 34.

In another implantation, the gateway device 12 has a data link to theserver 56 which is providing a geolocation and safety network 58, whichincludes the gateway device 12 as well as the programmable device 42 inthe form of the single button programmable device 44 or the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48. In oneimplementation, an individual has the programmable device 44, which maytransmit a beacon from the programmable device 44 using a wirelessstandard such as Bluetooth 46 to the gateway device 12. The gatewaydevice 12 then processes the received beacon signal and sends abroadcast signal to the server 56. More particularly, with respect todata flow 60, the programmable device 44 transmits the beacon signal 62which includes a personal location device identification identifying theprogrammable device 44. The beacon signal 62 is received by the gatewaydevice 12 which transmits a broadcast signal 64 including the personallocation device identification, a gateway device identificationidentifying the gateway device 12, and a signal characteristicindicator, such as signal strength, for example. The server 56 receivesthe broadcast signal 64 and uses multiple broadcast signals, includingbroadcast signal 66, for locationing 68, such as triangulation, of thelocation of the programmable device 44. The server 56, in turn, sendsout the appropriate notifications to various phones, activates alarms,or notify others via a computer, depending on the situation. As aspatial array of horizontal and vertical gateway devices are provided,the server 56 and system presented herein is able to determine thelocation of the individual associated with the programmable device 44within a building. The location information determined includes whichfloor the individual is presently located as well as the room or commonarea.

Referring to FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B, and FIG. 3, the gateway device 12 may bea set-top unit that is an information appliance device that does notinclude television-tuner functionality and generally containsconvenience and safety functionality. The gateway device 12 includes thehousing 14 having a front wall 70, rear wall 72, side wall 74, side wall76, top wall 78, and bottom base 80. It should be appreciated that frontwall, rear wall, and side wall are relative terms used for descriptivepurposes and the orientation and the nomenclature of the walls may varydepending on application. The front wall 70 includes various ports,ports 16, 18 that provide interfaces for various interfaces, includinginputs 92 and outputs 94. In one implementation, as illustrated, theport 16 is an RJ45 port and port 18 is a USB2 port. It should beappreciated that the configuration of ports may vary with the gatewaydevice depending on application and context.

Within the housing 14, a processor 96, memory 98, storage 100, theinputs 92, and the outputs 94 are interconnected by a bus architecture102 within a mounting architecture. The processor 96 may processinstructions for execution within the computing device, includinginstructions stored in the memory 98 or in storage 100. The memory 98stores information within the computing device. In one implementation,the memory 98 is a volatile memory unit or units. In anotherimplementation, the memory 98 is a non-volatile memory unit or units.Storage 100 provides capacity that is capable of providing mass storagefor the gateway device 12. Various inputs 92 and outputs 94 provideconnections to and from the computing device, wherein the inputs 92 arethe signals or data received by the gateway device 12, and the outputs94 are the signals or data sent from the gateway device 12.

Multiple transceivers 104 are associated with the gateway device 12 andcommunicatively disposed with the bus 102. As shown the transceivers 104may be internal, external, or a combination thereof to the housing.Further, the transceivers 104 may be a transmitter/receiver, receiver,or an antenna for example. Communication between various amenities inthe hotel room and the gateway device 12 may be enabled by a variety ofwireless methodologies employed by the transceiver 152, including802.11, 802.15, 802.15.4, 3G, 4G, Edge, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, near fieldcommunications (NFC), Bluetooth low energy and Bluetooth, for example.Also, infrared (IR) may be utilized.

The memory 98 and storage 100 are accessible to the processor 96 andinclude processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor 96 to execute a series of operations. With respect to firstprocessor-executable instructions, the processor is caused to establisha pairing between the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 46 and the gateway device 12. Theprocessor-executable instructions then send user interface instructionsrelative to the amenity to the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 46. The instructions may further cause the processor96 to receive and process user input instructions relative to theamenity 30 from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice 46. The processor-executable instructions may also cause theprocessor 96 to generate a command signal and send the command signal tothe amenity 30.

The memory 98 may also include second processor-executable instructionsthat, when executed, cause the processor 96 to receive and process abeacon signal including a personal location device identification. Theinstructions may then cause the processor 96 to generate a broadcastsignal including the personal location device identification, a gatewaydevice identification, and signal characteristics indicator. Finally,the instructions may cause the processor 96 to send the broadcast signalto the server 56.

The memory 98 may also include third processor-executable instructionsthat, when executed, cause the processor 96 to establish a pairingbetween the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device48 and the gateway device 12. Following the establishment of a pairing,the processor-executable instructions may cause the processor 96 to senduser interface instructions relative to the amenity 30 to the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48. The instructionsmay then cause the processor 96 to receive and process user inputinstructions relative to the amenity 30 from the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48. As part of thestatus inquiry process, the processor-executable instructions may thengenerate a status inquiry, send the status inquiry to the amenity 30,receive a response to the status inquiry at the gateway device 12, andforward a status response to the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48.

The memory 98 may include fourth processor-executable instructions that,when executed, cause the processor 96 to establish a pairing between theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48 and thegateway device 12 and then send user interface instructions relative tothe amenity 30 to the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device 48. The processor-executable instructions mayfurther cause the processor 96 to receive and process user inputinstructions relative to the amenity 30 from the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device 48. Then, the processor96 may be caused to import content from the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device 48, reformat the imported content, andforward the reformatted imported content to the amenity 30.

Thus, the systems and methods disclosed herein may enable users to useexisting electronic devices as a temporary remote control device tocontrol various amenities. Therefore the systems and methods presentedherein avoid the need for additional or expensive high functionalityremote controls. In this respect, the teachings presented herein alsoinclude providing the software and/or application for the electronicdevice or interactive handheld device. The application, to the extentneeded, may be downloaded from the Internet or alternatively madeavailable by download from the set-top box. Further, the systems andmethods disclosed herein may enable users to be part of a geolocationand safety network.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C depict another embodiment of the gateway device 12.The gateway device 12 includes the housing 108 having a front wall 110,rear wall 112, side wall 114, side wall 116, top wall 118, and bottombase 120. It should be appreciated that front wall, rear wall, and sidewall are relative terms used for descriptive purposes and theorientation and the nomenclature of the walls may vary depending onapplication. The front wall 110 includes a removable cover 122 andinside at opening 124 is interior wall 126 which may have various ports,such as port 128. It should be appreciated that the configuration ofports may vary with the gateway device depending on application andcontext. The gateway device 12 depicted in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C may beemployed in an outdoor environment, for example, where interfacesrequire additional protection from the elements.

FIG. 5 depicts one embodiment of the gateway device 12. In thisembodiment, chipsets 150, 152 respectively include a program port 154,storage 156 and storage 158 and a program port 160. The chipset 150includes an antenna for wireless protocol Wi-Fi 24, while the chipset152 includes antennas for wireless protocol Bluetooth 26 and wirelessprotocol ZigBee 28. Serial and radio management communications areenabled between the chipset 150 and the chipset 152. A physicalconnector 162 is connected to the chipset 150 to provide data thereto.The source of the data is the RJ45 port 16, which includes couplingmagnet components 164. The RJ45 port 16 may also provide power ofEthernet which is received by power of Ethernet circuit component 166and forwarded to the power supply 168. In the illustrated embodiment,the USB Type B port 18 may also provide power to the power supply 168.

FIG. 6 depicts one embodiment of a method for providing conveniencethrough a remote control device controlling amenities, according to theteachings presented herein. At block 180, a search, which may be activeor passive, is performed by the gateway device to identify a physicallyproximate programmable device in the multi-room environment, forexample. At block 182, a pairing is established. As noted by block 184,the pairing may provide an experience that includes providing a virtualinterface with virtual buttons, for example. Referring to decision block186, as previously discussed, the virtual remote controls and interfaceeach correspond to amenities under the control of the gateway deviceand, as a result, the status may be determined of the amenity, theamenity may be controlled, or a programmable device experience may beinitiated.

With respect to amenity status, at block 188, instructions are providedto the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device toenable requests for the status of an amenity. At block 190, commands arereceived at the gateway device relative to user input and a statusinquiry. At block 192, the commands are translated and at block 194 astatus inquiry is sent to the amenity. At block 196, a response to thestatus inquiry is received at the gateway device and forwarded to theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device at block 198.

With respect to control of amenities, at block 200, instructions areprovided from the gateway device for a virtual interface on a touchscreen display associated with the proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device. In one embodiment, the virtual buttonsare associated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device and relate to obtaining user input for the amenitycontrol functionality provided by the set-top box. At block 202, theset-top box receives and processes amenity control functionality inputinstructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device. At block 204, the commands are translated into acommand signal. At block 206, the command signal is sent to theparticular amenity.

Returning now to decision block 186 and the importation of content fromthe proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, at block208, instructions are provided from the gateway device for an interfaceincluding virtual buttons, for example, on a touch screen displayassociated with the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice. The virtual buttons may be associated with the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device and relate to obtaininguser input for the programmable device experience functionality providedby the gateway device. At block 210, the gateway device receives andprocesses virtual remote control functionality input instructions fromthe proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device. At block212, the commands are translated into a command signal and sent to theamenity at block 214. At block 216, content is imported from theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device. At block218, the imported content is reformatted for the targeted amenity andforwarded thereto at block 220. As discussed, the fully tuned signalincluding the imported content provides an upstream parallel experienceon the television related to the content on the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device.

FIG. 7 depicts one embodiment of a method for providing safety in ahospitality environment or other environment, according to the teachingspresented herein. At block 230, the array of gateway devices is deployedvertically and horizontally throughout the hospitality environment. Atblock 232, beacon signals are periodically transmitted from personallocation devices and received by the gateway devices.

At block 234, the beacon signals are received and processed at thegateway device. The beacon signals may include a personal locationdevice identification corresponding to the device being employed by theuser. In one embodiment, signal strength between the beacon transmissionof the set-top boxes and the common area beacons at the wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device is measured. In other embodiments, phaseangle measurements or flight time measurements may be utilized. At block236, broadcast signals are sent from the gateway devices to a serverthat is part of the geolocation and safety network. The broadcastsignals may include the personal location device identification, gatewaydevice identification, and signal characteristic indicators. At block238, the server receives and processes the broadcast signals. Atdecision block 240, the server takes action based on the mode ofoperation. In a first mode of operation at block 242, a service requestis associated with the location of the user utilizing the location ofthe personal location device such as the wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device as a proxy. In a second mode of operation at block244, an emergency alert is sent and subsequent notification (block 246)occurs. The emergency alert includes an indication of distress and thelocation of the user utilizing the location of the wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device as a proxy. In a third mode of operationat block 248, the map of individuals is updated with the location of theuser with, if privacy settings being enabled, the system maintains theprivacy of the individual working in the hospitality environment suchthat the system only retains in memory the last known position and timeof the user-supplied wireless-enabled smart and interactive handhelddevice. Further, in this mode of operation, the system does not revealthe location of the individual and programmable device unless and untilan alert is issued.

The order of execution or performance of the methods and data flowsillustrated and described herein is not essential, unless otherwisespecified. That is, elements of the methods and data flows may beperformed in any order, unless otherwise specified, and that the methodsmay include more or less elements than those disclosed herein. Forexample, it is contemplated that executing or performing a particularelement before, contemporaneously with, or after another element are allpossible sequences of execution.

While this invention has been described with reference to illustrativeembodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in alimiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of theillustrative embodiments as well as other embodiments of the invention,will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to thedescription. It is, therefore, intended that the appended claimsencompass any such modifications or embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A gateway device comprising: a housing securing aprocessor, memory, and storage therein, the housing being configured tobe located within a space; a busing architecture communicativelyinterconnecting the processor, the memory, and the storage; a firstphysical port secured at the housing and coupled to the busingarchitecture, the first physical port configured to provide a physicalwired interface for data and power to the gateway device; a secondphysical port secured at the housing and coupled to the busingarchitecture, the second physical port configured to provide a physicalwired interface for power to the gateway device; a plurality of wirelesstransceivers associated with the housing and coupled to the busingarchitecture, the plurality of wireless transceivers configured tocommunicate via a plurality of wireless standards; at least one of theplurality of wireless transceivers and the first physical port providinga data link to a server, the server managing a geolocation and safetynetwork including a plurality of gateway devices; at least one of theplurality of wireless transceivers being configured to communicate witha proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device; at leastone of the plurality of wireless transceivers being configured tocommunicate with a proximate amenity, the proximate amenity beingco-located with the gateway device at the space; the memory accessibleto the processor, the memory including first processor-executableinstructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: establish apairing between the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice and the gateway device, send user interface instructions relativeto the amenity to the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device, receive and process user input instructionsrelative to the amenity from the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device, generate a command signal, and send the commandsignal to the amenity; and the memory accessible to the processor, thememory including second processor-executable instructions that, whenexecuted, cause the processor to: receive and process a beacon signalincluding a personal location device identification, generate abroadcast signal including the personal location device identification,a gateway device identification, and signal characteristics indicator,and send the broadcast signal to the server.
 2. The gateway device asrecited in claim 1, wherein the space forms a portion of a hospitalityestablishment environment.
 3. The gateway device as recited in claim 1,wherein the first physical port further comprises an RJ45 port.
 4. Thegateway device as recited in claim 1, wherein the second physical portfurther comprises a USB2 port.
 5. The gateway device as recited in claim1, wherein the wireless standards are selected from a group consistingof infrared (IR), 802.11, 802.15, 802.15.4, 3G, 4G, Edge, Wi-Fi, ZigBee,near field communications (NFC), and Bluetooth.
 6. The gateway device asrecited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless transceivers areat least partially internal to the housing.
 7. The gateway device asrecited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless transceivers areat least partially external to the housing.
 8. The gateway device asrecited in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of wirelesstransceivers further comprise an antenna.
 9. The gateway device asrecited in claim 1, wherein the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device comprises a device selected from the groupconsisting of personal computers, laptops, tablet computers, smartphones, and smart watches.
 10. The gateway device as recited in claim 1,wherein the personal location device further comprises the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device.
 11. The gateway deviceas recited in claim 1, wherein the personal location device furthercomprises a single button personal location device.
 12. The gatewaydevice as recited in claim 1, wherein the amenity is selected from agroup consisting of lighting control, temperature control, speakers,window shade control, and door security.
 13. The gateway device asrecited in claim 1, wherein the signal characteristics indicator isbased on the beacon signal being received at the gateway device.
 14. Thegateway device as recited in claim 13, wherein the signalcharacteristics indicator is selected from a group consisting of signalstrength measurements, phase angle measurements, and flight timemeasurements.
 15. The gateway device as recited in claim 1, wherein thememory includes third processor-executable instructions that, whenexecuted, cause the processor to: establish a pairing between theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device and thegateway device, send user interface instructions relative to the amenityto the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device,receive and process user input instructions relative to the amenity fromthe proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, generatea status inquiry, send the status inquiry to the amenity, receive aresponse to the status inquiry at the gateway device, and forward astatus response to the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device.
 16. The gateway device as recited in claim 1,wherein the memory includes fourth processor-executable instructionsthat, when executed, cause the processor to: establish a pairing betweenthe proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device and thegateway device, send user interface instructions relative to the amenityto the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device,receive and process user input instructions relative to the amenity fromthe proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, importcontent from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice, reformat the imported content, and forward the reformattedimported content to the amenity.
 17. A gateway device comprising: ahousing securing a processor, memory, and storage therein, the housingbeing configured to be located within a space; a busing architecturecommunicatively interconnecting the processor, the memory, and thestorage; a first physical port secured at the housing and coupled to thebusing architecture, the first physical port configured to provide aphysical wired interface for data and power to the gateway device, thefirst physical port being an RJ45 port; a second physical port securedat the housing and coupled to the busing architecture, the secondphysical port configured to provide a physical wired interface for powerto the gateway device, the second physical port being a USB2 port; aplurality of wireless transceivers associated with the housing andcoupled to the busing architecture, the plurality of wirelesstransceivers configured to communicate via a plurality of wirelessstandards; at least one of the plurality of wireless transceivers andthe first physical port providing a data link to a server, the servermanaging a geolocation and safety network including a plurality ofgateway devices; at least one of the plurality of wireless transceiversbeing configured to communicate with a proximate wireless-enabledinteractive programmable device; at least one of the plurality ofwireless transceivers being configured to communicate with a proximateamenity, the proximate amenity being co-located with the gateway deviceat the space; the memory accessible to the processor, the memoryincluding first processor-executable instructions that, when executed,cause the processor to: establish a pairing between the proximatewireless-enabled interactive programmable device and the gateway device,send user interface instructions relative to the amenity to theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, receive andprocess user input instructions relative to the amenity from theproximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device, generate acommand signal, and send the command signal to the amenity; and thememory accessible to the processor, the memory including secondprocessor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor to: receive and process a beacon signal including a personallocation device identification, generate a broadcast signal includingthe personal location device identification, a gateway deviceidentification, and signal characteristics indicator, and send thebroadcast signal to the server.
 18. The gateway device as recited inclaim 17, wherein the amenity is selected from a group consisting oflighting control, temperature control, speakers, window shade control,and door security.
 19. A gateway device comprising: a housing securing aprocessor, memory, and storage therein, the housing being configured tobe located within a space, the space forming a portion of a hospitalityestablishment environment; a busing architecture communicativelyinterconnecting the processor, the memory, and the storage; a firstphysical port secured at the housing and coupled to the busingarchitecture, the first physical port configured to provide a physicalwired interface for data and power to the gateway device, the firstphysical port being an RJ45 port; a second physical port secured at thehousing and coupled to the busing architecture, the second physical portconfigured to provide a physical wired interface for power to thegateway device, the second physical port being a USB2 port; a pluralityof wireless transceivers associated with the housing and coupled to thebusing architecture, the plurality of wireless transceivers configuredto communicate via a plurality of wireless standards; at least one ofthe plurality of wireless transceivers and the first physical portproviding a data link to a server, the server managing a geolocation andsafety network including a plurality of gateway devices; at least one ofthe plurality of wireless transceivers being configured to communicatewith a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device; atleast one of the plurality of wireless transceivers being configured tocommunicate with a proximate amenity, the proximate amenity beingco-located with the gateway device at the space; the memory accessibleto the processor, the memory including first processor-executableinstructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: establish apairing between the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmabledevice and the gateway device, send user interface instructions relativeto the amenity to the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device, receive and process user input instructionsrelative to the amenity from the proximate wireless-enabled interactiveprogrammable device, generate a command signal, and send the commandsignal to the amenity; and the memory accessible to the processor, thememory including second processor-executable instructions that, whenexecuted, cause the processor to: receive and process a beacon signalincluding a personal location device identification, generate abroadcast signal including the personal location device identification,a gateway device identification, and signal characteristics indicator,and send the broadcast signal to the server.
 20. The gateway device asrecited in claim 19, wherein the amenity is selected from a groupconsisting of lighting control, temperature control, speakers, windowshade control, and door security.